The Planning System and Flood Risk Management - Offaly County ...

46TermsDefinitionPlanning GuidelinesEnvironmental ImpactAssessment (EIA)Estuarial floodingFlash FloodFlooding(or inundation)Flood Relief Schemes (FRS)Flood defenceFlood-detention reservoirsFlooding from artificialdrainage systemsFlood hazardPursuant to EU Directive 85/337/EEC (asamended in 1997), EIA is a legislative procedureused for identifying the environmental effects ofdevelopment projects to be applied to theassessment of the environmental effects ofcertain public and private projects which arelikely to have significant effects on theenvironment.Flooding from an estuary, where water levelmay be influenced by both river flows and tidalconditions, with the latter usually beingdominant.A flash flood is a rapid flooding of an area ofland as a result of intense or extreme rainfallevents or failure of infrastructure designed tostore or carry water or protect against floodingand is distinguished from general flooding bythe sudden onset.Flooding is the overflowing of water onto landthat is normally dry. It may be caused byovertopping or breach of banks or defences,inadequate or slow drainage of rainfall,underlying groundwater levels or blockeddrains and sewers. It presents a risk only whenpeople, human assets and ecosystems arepresent in the areas that floods.A scheme designed to reduce the risk of floodingat a specific location.A man-made structure (e.g. embankment, bund,sluice gate, reservoir or barrier) designed toprevent flooding of areas adjacent to thedefence.An embanked area designed to hold floodwaterfrom areas upstream and release it slowly toreduce flooding downstream. Embankmentsmay be constructed across the river or adjacentto the river, with flood flows being diverted intothe reservoir area.This occurs when flow entering a system, suchas an urban storm water drainage system,exceeds its discharge capacity, becomes blockedor when the system cannot discharge due to ahigh water level in the receiving watercourse.The features of flooding which have harmfulimpacts on people, property or the environment(such as the depth of water, speed of flow, rateof onset, duration, water quality etc.).